Church

The National Monuments Service's description

In partly improved pasture, on level ground at the E foot of a moderately steep E-facing ridge, in the Caher Valley c. 30m to the W of the Caher River. Indicated and named ‘Formoyle R.C. Chapel’ on the 1840 ed. of the OS 6-inch map and as ‘R. C. Chapel (in Ruins)’ on the 1916 ed. It fell into disuse c. 1870 (Swinfen 1992, 26), after St Patrick’s Church was built in Fanore. An early saint - St MacCreedy (MacCreiche) - may have been associated with Formoyle (ibid.).

A small, poorly preserved, rectangular church (ext. dims. 13.5m E-W; 7.3m N-S) with a S transept (traceable L 5m on W side). The walls (Wth 0.65m) are built of randomly coursed unworked limestone blocks. A doorway (Wth 1m; H 1.2m above collapse) W of centre in the N wall has a large lintel and is flanked immediately to the W by a narrow, pointed arched window (Wth 0.75m; H 1.55m above collapse). A second similar window is at the E end of the N wall.

A bullaun stone (CL005-005003-) was recorded here in 1980 by Cunningham (1980, 29) but it had disappeared by 1987 (Spellissy 1987, 76). The large lintel over the door and the presence of a bullaun stone hint at a possible early origin for this church. The site of a holy well (CL005-005002-), ‘Tobair Bhrain’, is recorded c. 130m to the NNW.

Compiled by: Mary Tunney, Olive Alcock and Ros Ó Maoldúin

Date of upload: 28 September 2021

References

Swinfen, A. 1992 Forgotten stones: Ancient church sites of the Burren and environs. Dublin. Lilliput Press.

Large, S. 2011 A church and graveyard survey in County Clare. Database and photographic record. Clare County Council. Clare Heritage Forum. The Heritage Council.

Spellissy, S. 1987 Clare: county of contrasts. Ennis. Privately published.

Cunningham, G. 1980 Burren journey West. Shannonside Mid-Western Regional Tourism Organisation.